


Have a Good Day

by InterstellarBlue (nagi_schwarz)



Category: ASTRO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Non-Famous, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-03
Updated: 2020-03-03
Packaged: 2021-02-23 03:50:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23005282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nagi_schwarz/pseuds/InterstellarBlue
Summary: In which social work major and cafe employee Bin meets dance major Minhyuk, who is too sexy for nuns; Myungjun and Sanha want Bin to spill the tea; Jinwoo doesn't think a celebrity would really visit their cafe, and Eunwoo is thankful for the fans who've supported his friend.Or: barista Bin lives his best fanboy life when the cafe he works at hosts a cup sleeve event for his favorite artist.
Relationships: Kim Myungjun | MJ/Park Jinwoo | Jin Jin, Moon Bin/Park Minhyuk | Rocky
Comments: 22
Kudos: 101
Collections: K-pop and K-drama AUs





	Have a Good Day

**Author's Note:**

  * For [siriusRocky0425](https://archiveofourown.org/users/siriusRocky0425/gifts).



Bin wanted to become a social worker because he wanted to help people. All growing up he’d watched his mother work tirelessly to help other people, and even though sometimes he’d felt like she spent more time with strangers than with family, he wanted to be like her. Unfortunately, he was shy about talking to strangers, and social work was all about talking to strangers - usually to people who were automatically hostile to his presence - but he figured while he was still a student, he had time to practice, start small.

With the small boy crying just outside the door of the cafe where Bin worked part time so he could afford his books for college.

Bin set the sandwich board with the daily specials on the sidewalk, then knelt beside the boy, who was curled up on the ground with his face buried in his knees, shoulders hitching as he sobbed.

“Hey,” Bin said gently. “Are you all right? Where are your parents?” He knew the protocol for handling lost kids. 

“I’m fine,” the boy stammered out between sniffles.

Right. Boys didn’t like to cry. Bin didn’t like it when people saw him crying. 

“Okay. Well, how about I just sit here with you for a bit? Or if you want, you can come inside. I’ll make you a hot cocoa.”

The boy lifted his head and wiped his damp face, peered at Bin with much suspicion. “You’re not going to make fun of me too?”

“Why would I make fun of you?” Bin had learned from his mother to keep a calm, neutral expression when talking to upset children, because children were less good at understanding nuanced emotions, and if Bin was upset that the boy was being mocked, the boy might think Bin was upset at him.

“Because I want to be a dancer when I grow up.”

“A dancer? That’s pretty cool. I’m not a very good dancer. My mom sent me and my sister to dance lessons, but I was kind of hopeless.” Bin had been in a music video one time as a kid, and his mom had hoped it would turn into something more, but Bin’s natural shyness was difficult to overcome.

The boy still looked suspicious. “You don’t think it’s stupid and girly?”

“No. There are plenty and cool guys who dance. Like - Rain. He’s really popular.” Rain was really handsome, Bin meant, but he wasn’t about to say that to a kid. Bin had seen the man’s music videos a thousand times.

Rain. Shirtless and muscular and gleaming and angry in the movie Ninja Assassin. Rain -

Bin’s brain was running away with him.

“My favorite dancer is Rocky,” the boy said. “He’s super cool. He’s the best dancer. He’s even better than Rain.”

Rocky. The name was vaguely familiar. Sua might be into him. Sua was much more up on the K-pop scene than Bin was. Bin liked Justin Bieber and One Direction and a lot of American pop.

The boy jumped to his feet. “I’ve been trying to learn this one choreo, but it’s super hard, because Rocky’s so high-level. Check this out.”

Bin nodded earnestly and settled in to watch as the boy attempted a dance routine that looked like a cross between Michael Jackson and possibly dub-step, but without knowing what the original routine looked like or hearing the song it was supposed to go to - the boy was humming along atonally and concentrating very hard - Bin couldn’t tell if the boy was any good or not.

The boy finished, and Bin smiled, applauded, but then he heard laughter.

“Hey, he’s doing it again!”

Bin turned, and several other boys were standing on the corner, pointing and laughing. The little dancer boy immediately ducked his head and hunched his shoulders, eyes filling with tears.

Bin rose to his feet. “Yah! Get out of here and leave him alone!”

Two of the boys fled, but the third made a face and said, “We’ll see you at school, Kangwoo, when your  _ boyfriend _ isn’t around.”

Bin glared, and the boy ran.

Kangwoo buried his face in his hands. Bin knelt down again. 

“Hey, you were doing pretty good there. Don’t listen to them.” Bin reached out, but Kangwoo shrugged his hand off.

“What would you know about it? You said it yourself, you’re not a good dancer.”

Bin went to point out that he knew what good dancing looked like, at least, and then someone else said,

“No, he was right, you were doing pretty good.”

Bin looked up, and a very cute guy about his own age was standing at the door of the cafe. He was wearing a dark grey hoodie and blue jeans that were ripped at the knees. His eyes were so dark and deep that Bin could drown in them. He had high cheekbones and full lips. 

Kangwoo eyed the newcomer with the same wariness with which he’d regarded Bin. “Are you a dancer?”

The newcomer smiled, amused, and his face transformed from sexy and intense to bright and sweet in an instant. “I am. You were trying to dance to Rocky’s newest pop cover choreo, right?”

Kangwoo nodded. “The nuns at the orphanage won’t let me watch Rocky’s music videos because they’re too sexy, but I’m allowed to watch his choreo videos. He always wears a hat and keeps his face covered. He’s like a dance ninja.”

The newcomer laughed, startled. “Well, I suppose at your age you should think about other things besides being sexy.” He shrugged off his bookbag and set it down beside Bin. “What part are you working on?”

Bin decided he ought to check out Rocky’s music videos when he had the chance. There were so many artists and idols out there that it was hard to keep track, and Bin would be the first to admit that he listened to who was popular on the radio and not much else, but he wouldn’t say no to a sexy man. On the other hand, how sexy was  _ too sexy for nuns? _

“His cover of Keep Up,” Kangwoo said. He bit his lip. “I have a hard time with the fast footwork.”

The newcomer fished his cellphone out of his hoodie pocket and searched on YouTube. Kangwoo crowded close to see, and Bin did too, out of curiosity. It was a short clip, less than a minute and a half, but - damn. Whoever Rocky was, he was all lean muscle. He moved so smoothly. He was indeed wearing a black snapback that obscured his face. It made sense, Bin supposed, since the focus of the video was his dancing, but it was kind of a shame - Bin wanted to see what he looked like.

“Right there,” Kangwoo said, pointing. “That part’s hard.”

The newcomer nodded. “The steps are actually simple ones, but the speed does make it look harder than it seems. You know, if you tap this button here, you can play a video slower, and that might make it easier to see what he’s doing.”

Kangwoo’s eyes went wide. “Really?”

“Yeah. It might help you learn choreo in future.” The newcomer smiled. 

Kangwoo peered at him. “Can you do the choreo?”

“I can.”

Kangwoo said, “Can you show me?”

The newcomer darted a look around, and it occurred to Bin that he was probably some ordinary college student too - maybe a dance major, maybe just someone who danced as a hobby - and he wanted a cup of coffee between classes or something. But then he nodded and held his phone out to Bin. “Play the video for me? So we have the right music.”

“Sure,” Bin said. He held the phone carefully. It was an expensive one, and probably the nicest thing the newcomer owned. “Ready?”

The newcomer struck the same starting pose as in the video, and Bin played the music, and - hot damn.

This guy really  _ was _ a dancer. He moved just like Rocky in the video. He’d probably seen it just as many times as little Kangwoo had.

When the song ended, Kangwoo burst into applause. Bin thought he saw someone filming on their phone, which was a bit weird, but then the dance performance had been very impressive.

“Wow! You’re so good!” Bin said, applauding as well.

“I’ve been dancing since I was about five,” the newcomer admitted. “When you’re the same age as me, you’ll be dancing like me too, I’m sure. Just keep working hard.”

“What’s your name?” Kangwoo asked.

“Park Minhyuk. What’s your name?”

“Seo Kangwoo.”

Minhyuk crouched down so he was eye-level with Kangwoo. “Well, Seo Kangwoo-ssi, keep up the hard work. You’ll be a great dancer someday.”

“Thank you,” Kangwoo said, beaming. Then he looked at his watch, and his eyes went wide. He bowed. “I have to go. It was nice meeting you!”

He turned and darted off into the crowd.

Bin handed back Minhyuk’s phone and book bag. “Thanks. He was crying, and those other boys were picking on him.”

Minhyuk regarded Bin with those beautiful dark eyes. “You know him well?”

“No. I’ve never seen him before. I was putting the sign out on the sidewalk and saw him.” Bin gestured to his uniform. Then he opened the cafe door. “Come on in - I’ll make you a drink, on the house.”

Minhyuk’s eyes widened. “No, you don’t have to do that. I can afford to buy my own drinks -”

“One poor college student to another,” Bin said. He gestured for Minhyuk to precede him into the cafe.

“Well, I am a college student,” Minhyuk said finally, and headed into the cafe.

Bin led him to the counter. “What’s your poison?”

Minhyuk laughed. “This isn’t a bar, but - iced tea.”

“Iced tea for Minhyuk, coming right up.” Bin turned to start fixing the drink. “I have to say, though, if that’s how good Rocky looks in a casual choreo video, no wonder the nuns can’t handle his actual music videos.”

“I’m pretty sure Rocky has never previously imagined nuns watching his music videos,” Minhyuk said.

Bin whipped up the drink, then made a note that he’d used his one free drink for his shift before he handed the beverage over the counter to Minhyuk, who accepted it with a little bow.

“Thank you,” he said, and flicked his gaze down to Bin’s nametag, then up again, “Moon Bin.”

Bin offered him a bright smile. “You’re very welcome. Have a good day.”

“You too,” Minhyuk said. He left the cafe, and Bin watched him till he vanished around the corner at the end of the street. 

Today was a good day. Bin got to spend time, however brief, with a really nice, really attractive guy. His mother had told him to treasure good moments like this, because if he was determined to pursue social work, the good moments would be few and far between, but they would be the ones that mattered most. Helping someone have a better day, even if only for a little while, meant Bin had had a good day.

He smiled to himself and kept on working.

* * *

That evening, he went back to his tiny rooftop apartment and made himself a quick meal, then settled onto the couch to browse some webtoons while he ate. He still had studying to do, and work at the cafe wasn’t particularly strenuous, but he wanted to unwind before he hit the books. Reading about the specific medical mechanisms of broken bones in abused children took a lot of energy.

All day, Bin thought of Minhyuk again and again. He was sure that he’d remember if someone as handsome as Minhyuk had been into the cafe before. He hoped Minhyuk would come again. Chances of Minhyuk being open to dating someone like Bin were slim, but if nothing else, Bin could make friends with a nice person, couldn’t he? There was no harm in having handsome friends.

And then Bin thought of the way Minhyuk danced, and little Kangwoo’s comments about Rocky’s allegedly too-sexy-for-nuns music videos, and he went to YouTube to look one up.

The music for When the Wind Blows was light and sweet, built gradually. It didn’t sound like it would be a particularly sexy song, especially since Rocky appeared to be wearing a very classy pair of slacks and buttoned-up shirt to dance in. The camera zoomed in for a close-up on Rocky once the vocals started, and -

No way.

It was Park Minhyuk.

From the cafe earlier today.

Bin would know those dark eyes and that face anywhere. He watched the music video, but he only half-focused on it as he tried to replay everything he and Minhyuk had said to each other. Had he said anything particularly embarrassing or stupid? Other than the fact that he’d made it abundantly clear that he had no idea who Rocky was.

And that he thought Rocky was hot.

Bin wanted to bury himself beneath his coverlet on his bed and kick his feet like an embarrassed teenage girl.

Maybe he didn’t want Minhyuk to come back to the cafe after all.

If he wanted to see Minhyuk again, he could watch Rocky’s music videos on YouTube, right?

Bin played the music video again, from the beginning. It was a cute, sweet pop song, but not particularly sexy.

And then he found a music video for a song called Role Play.

Hot  _ damn. _

No wonder the nuns steered far clear of it.

Bin spent far too long bingeing on videos of Rocky’s MVs and choreos and live stages before he finally forced himself to shower and get started on his studying.

It was official, though.

He was a fan.

* * *

“Bin-ah,” Manager Nam said, “you’re young and hip. What’s a cup sleeve event?”

Three months ago, Bin would have had no clue, but after his encounter with the world’s most beautiful and talented man, Bin knew everything there was to know about K-pop fandoms. He had a light stick. He had albums with photocards. He knew fan chants. He was rapidly leveling up on a fan cafe. He made sure he got V-live alerts (and might have sneaked a viewing with his phone on silent during a lecture one time). He’d made it to two broadcast shows and one mini fan-meeting.

Sua, who pretty much stuck to voting and buying albums, had been amused at his initial foray into K-pop and had been glad to be his mentor, but now she called him  _ sasaeng-oppa _ and even changed his name in her phone.

He didn’t care. Rocky was his dream boyfriend and he was sticking to it.

“It’s usually a birthday celebration for a celebrity, like an idol,” Bin said. “At a cafe, the cup sleeves have his picture and maybe a cute birthday greeting. The cafe would have menu specials for the event, and maybe also some pictures of the celebrity around as well. Fans gather at the cafe and have their own party for him, sort of. Are you thinking of hosting one?”

He’d seen pictures of previous ones for Rocky, and they looked like a lot of work, but he was looking forward to his first one with Rocky, and as soon as he heard of one that was within a reasonable travel distance, he’d ask for that day off.

“Some young ladies have approached me about hosting one, but I’m not sure if we should do it.” Manager Nam’s expression was thoughtful.

“Oh? Who for?”

“Someone named Rocky. Is he a boxer?” 

Bin’s heart skipped a beat. “No, he’s a singer and also a very talented dancer. If you’ve never done one before, it wouldn’t hurt to try. I’d help you with it.” And then he wouldn’t have to skip work to go to a cup sleeve event for just a few hours. He could bask in a Rocky shrine for a whole week, maybe longer.

Manager Nam patted Bin’s arm. “You’re such a nice young man. I’ll talk to the young ladies and see what they have in mind.”

Bin felt like a terrible liar, but he was telling the truth when he said, “I’ll do anything I can to help with the event.”

* * *

Bin had been right - the event was a lot of work, mostly in the planning stages while Bin and Manager Nam worked with the two hosts of the event, Baek Jangmi and Kim Yoojung, who was one of Rocky’s primary homesite masters. It took more math than Bin liked to help Manager Nam come up with a special menu at attractive prices that would still turn a minimal profit. Bin helped with all the physical work, too, clearing away the regular decorations and moving furniture and putting up additional display spaces for all the pictures of Rocky, all of which were candids Jangmi and Yoojung had taken at the fan events they’d been to (and they went to every single one).

There was also a little digital screen playing some of Rocky’s best live stage clips on a loop, and some additional decorations.

Bin’s personal presence on SNS was limited to Instagram, which he had set to automatically cross-post to Facebook (which he rarely checked), and that was mostly so he could post a few pictures of himself here and there to assure his mother that he was still alive and occasionally had a social life, and also so he could keep track of his friends and relatives. Bin’s fanboy presence on SNS was rampant, though. Using his fan account, he followed all of Rocky’s official SNS accounts, plus all of his major fan accounts, and some minor fan accounts as well. He reblogged and reposted and participated in Twitter storms and hashtag boosts, and maybe he ought to try to find a real boyfriend, since he was in college now and it should be easier - and safer - than in high school, but between work and school he barely had time to hang out with friends and family, let alone date, so being supportive of Rocky was enough for him.

As soon as the cafe was decorated for the cupsleeve event for Rocky’s combination debut birthday celebration - he’d debuted two days before his own birthday - Bin took pictures and videos and posted them to all his fan accounts, partially because he was proud of the work he’d done, but also to celebrate Rocky. The additional publicity for the event would help Manager Nam anyway. The event was set to run for ten days, with Rocky’s actual debut and birthday falling right at the end. Bin, Jangmi, and Yoojung explained to Manager Nam that the event would be busier closer to the actual days, but it was worth hosting the event for that long.

In the first couple of days, only a handful of fans came by to order off the special menu and get the decorated cup sleeves. Bin, because he was helpful, built a playlist of Rocky’s ballads and softer songs, combined with piano covers of his more uptempo and hard-hitting songs, to play quietly in the background. Where the cafe was close to campus and tended to attract a college-age clientele, Manager Nam let Bin and his coworkers manage the music so long as it wasn’t too loud and hadn’t been banned from the radio. The fans looked pleased when they recognized the music, and they wandered around the cafe, looking at all the photos and memorabilia Jangmi and Yoojung had used to decorate the place. Because they lingered so long, they ended up buying additional drinks and pastries, and when Bin reported this to Manager Nam, he was pleased. Bin made sure that he was calm and professional, resisted the urge to fanboy along with the customers, but it warmed his heart to hear people being as excited about Rocky as he was.

He was pretty sure none of them had talked to Rocky like he had.

Granted, if they’d been approached by Rocky like he had, they’d have recognized him and not acted like idiots, but that day was still a good day in Bin’s book.

Late one night, about half an hour before closing, the cafe was deserted, and Bin was doing as many chores as he could get away with so he could close up and get home at a decent time. He had his textbooks open on the back counter so he could also study for an upcoming quiz, and he was humming along to the very sexy My Style when the bells over the door jangled.

Bin set aside the coffee filters he’d been fluffing and headed toward the counter. “Welcome,” he called out, pasting on a smile.

The customer was a college-age guy in a gray hoodie and blue jeans. Something about his long legs was familiar. He strolled up to the counter.

“Moon Bin, right?”

Bin’s heart stopped.

It was him. Rocky. Park Minhyuk.

“Ah, yes.” Bin swallowed hard, then managed a smile. What should he do? Pretend he had no idea who Minhyuk was? Only there were pictures of him all over the cafe. “Iced tea, right?”

Minhyuk’s smile was bright and sweet. “You remembered!”

“I did,” Bin said. “Anything else?”

“Hmmm.” Minhyuk scanned the event menu. “How about a couple of almond pastries?”

“All right. It’ll just be a few moments.”

“Thank you.” Minhyuk paid cash, then drifted along the counter to the pickup point. “So, you’re in college, right? What are you studying?”

“Social work,” Bin said, raising his voice over the drink machines.

“So that’s why you were helping little Kangwoo?”

“Well - I’m shy around strangers, so I was practising.”

“You didn’t seem too shy to me. Wouldn’t social work be hard, if you’re shy?”

“I figure it’ll be worth it despite the difficulty. I’m hoping I’ll get over it eventually.” Bin had played their first encounter over and over again in his mind. “You said you’re a college student too, right?”

Bin knew for a fact that Minhyuk was a dance major at a pretty decent university in Seoul, that he’d started dance training at age five and was proficient at many types, from ballroom to ballet to tap, and of course hip-hop and street dancing.

“A dance major,” Minhyuk said. Did he think Bin didn’t know who he was? Did he think Bin was stupid? 

What was Bin even doing?

“You’re a very good dancer.” Bin grabbed a couple of pastries out of the display case and arranged them on a plate. He put one of the event cup sleeves on Minhyuk’s drink, and then he carried them over to the pickup point. “Here you go.”

Minhyuk smiled at him, amused. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Bin said. “And - congratulations.”

Minhyuk raised his eyebrows. “Oh?”

“On the anniversary of your debut. Also, early happy birthday. Since I doubt I’ll see you on the actual days to tell you.” Bin managed a small smile.

“So you recognize me?”

“It would be a bit hard not to, given where I’m working.” Bin nodded at all of the portraits and other pictures of Minhyuk - plus the two massive banners - on the walls and display shelves.

“You definitely didn’t recognize me the first time we met.” Minhyuk took a sip of his drink, and for a moment Bin was very distracted by his mouth.

Bin swallowed hard. “I did not.”

“Well, thank you for the well wishes.” Minhyuk saluted him with the drink, and then he wandered around the cafe to look at the displays, same as plenty of fans had done. He paused at some and dug his phone out of his pocket, took selcas. He also took a selca with his drink and his pastries.

When he was finished with his little tour - Bin watched him and wondered if this was how museum staff felt, watching people while they looked at things - he came back over to the counter to return the plate the pastries had been on.

“The pastries were delicious. Thank you,” he said.

“You mentioned in an interview one time you like almond pastries, so we convinced Manager Nam to add them to the special menu,” Bin said.

“You’ve seen some of my interviews?” Minhyuk asked.

“Some,” Bin hedged, but it was no use, because he was blushing bright red and he knew it. He cleared his throat. “The two girls hosting this event are two of your biggest fans.”

“I see,” Minhyuk said. Then he said, “Take a picture with me? It seems a bit sad, if I was here all by myself. And I wasn’t here by myself, was I? We talked.”

Bin’s heart started to pound. “Sure. Of course. Where do you want me?”

Minhyuk hopped up on the counter and reached down, put an arm around Bin and pulled him close so they were pressed together side-by-side. Bin’s heart skipped a beat. Minhyuk was warm and firm and smelled really good. 

Minhyuk held out his phone. “Ready?”

Right. Bin was supposed to be smiling. He swallowed hard and did his best to smile. Minhyuk tilted his head close to Bin’s and snapped several pictures. Once he was done, he showed his phone to Bin.

“Which one do you like best?”

It took Bin a moment to focus, because Minhyuk was still right next to him. 

“That one.” Bin pointed. “Your smile is really pretty in that one.”

“All right. I’ll use that one. Although I like your smile better in this one. I could use both, I suppose.”

“My smile doesn’t matter next to yours,” Bin said, heart pounding again, because Minhyuk had said he liked Bin’s smile. “Really, use whichever picture you think is best.”

Minhyuk hopped off the counter and straightened his hoodie. “Your smile matters to me,” he said. 

Bin’s heart pounded louder. “Oh?”

“Yeah,” Minhyuk said. “Sometime, if you like, you should give me your number.”

Bin’s heart skipped a beat.

Minhyuk grinned and waved, and then he sauntered out of the cafe, drink in hand.

Bin felt his knees buckle.

No way. That hadn’t just happened. That kind of thing didn’t happen in real life. It only happened in dramas and webtoons and fanfiction.

Bin caught himself against the counter, breathing hard.

That  _ had _ just really happened.

“We about ready to close up?” Manager Nam asked.

Bin yelped in surprise.

“Easy, youngster,” Manager Nam said. “Are ready or not?”

“We’re close,” Bin said, trying to catch his breath. “Close. A customer just left.”

Manager Nam clapped him on the shoulder. “All right then. Let’s finish this fast.”

Bin went through the closedown procedure on autopilot. He gathered up his books and changed out of his uniform and was back at his apartment without really knowing how he’d gotten there (bus? Taxi? Had he just walked the entire way?).

He kicked off his shoes, set down his backpack and sprawled on his bed.

Park Minhyuk had asked for his phone number.

No way.

Bin couldn’t help it - he giggled and kicked his feet, then grabbed his pillow and hugged it. Chances were he’d never see Park Minhyuk again, but that moment had been like a dream come true.

* * *

The next day, the cafe was doing a pretty decent business - though fans participating in the cup sleeve event were still few and far between - so Bin was staying busy. On the one hand, being busy meant he wasn’t bored. On the other hand, he also didn’t really have a chance to go through his flashcards in preparation for his next quiz. It was busy enough that Manager Nam had to ring up customers so both Bin and Myungjun could focus on making drinks and clearing tables.

“If it gets any busier we might have to ask Sanha to come in,” Myungjun said while he and Bin were elbow-to-elbow at the espresso machine.

“I think Sanha’s in class right now,” Bin said.

“Oh. Then maybe Jinwoo.” Myungjun sighed dreamily.

“The way you thirst over our coworker is undignified,” Bin said.

“Do you have his number?” Myungjun asked. 

“We have the group chat,” Bin said.

“Right.” Then Myungjun shook his head. “What am I saying? Why would you have a hot guy’s number?”

Bin made a sound of protest. “Just last night a really hot guy asked for my number.”

“Yeah right.” Myungjun finished mixing a frappuccino, then bustled away, a bright smile on his face as he called out the customer’s name.

Myungjun did have a very pretty smile.

Thankfully, after half an hour the crowd of customers thinned out, so Manager Nam could retreat to his office and work on balancing the books while Myungjun and Bin caught up on chores and sneaked a few rounds of flashcards (Myungjun was an architecture major and most of the technical terms for his major were foreign loan words from French and Italian).

Bin was about to hand his cards to Myungjun for a quick review when the bells over the door tinkled and a familiar voice called out,

“Sasaeng-oppa!”

Bin whipped around, and there was Sua, looking expensive as hell in a miniskirt, blouse, and designer sunglasses, not a strand of hair out of place as she sashayed across the cafe in a pair of dangerous heels.

“Yah!” he hissed. “Don’t call me that.”

Sua leaned on the counter and fluttered her eyelashes at Myungjun. “Hi, oppa.”

He grinned at her and leaned in close. “Hello, pretty lady.”

“Don’t bother,” Bin said. “He plays for my team, not yours.”

Sua pouted at Myungjun. “Really?”

Myungjun nodded. “It’s true. You’re very pretty, but you’re just not my type.”

“Yeah, well, I’m sure Bin’s not your type either. You deserve a handsome man,” Sua said.

Bin flicked her arm. “Yah! I’m plenty handsome.”

Sua peered over the top of her sunglasses at the pictures and banners and displays all around the cafe. “Heol. This must be your sasaeng dream come true, oppa. It’s like living in a shrine to your dream boyfriend.”

Myungjun glanced at Bin. “You’re a Rocky fan?”

“Sasaeng,” Sua corrected.

“Yes, I’m a fan,” Bin said. “A perfectly ordinary fan who -”

“Who has every version of every album, posters and photocards wallpapering his bedroom, and all the official merchandise, plus some fan club exclusive merchandise, I’m sure.” Sua smirked at him.

“Rocky’s handsome and talented, I’ll admit that,” Myungjun said. “But he doesn’t hold a candle to my Jinie.”

Bin resolved to never tell Myungjun that Jinwoo occasionally accidentally referred to Myungjun as  _ Junie. _

“Would you like a drink, Sua?” Bin asked. “Since this is a cafe.”

She considered the special event menu. “Are the pastries any good?”

“So good,” Myungjun said, “considering I made them. With love.”

The door opened, and a large group of girls spilled into the cafe. Bin signaled to Myungjun to take care of Sua, and he pasted on a smile.

“Welcome!”

One girl came right up to the counter and held out her phone for Bin to see. “It’s this cafe, right?”

“Pardon?” Bin asked. He peered at her phone.

On it was a picture of Park Minhyuk - Rocky - holding an iced tea with his face on the cup sleeve and posing in front of one of the displays in the cafe.

Another girl held out her phone and then pointed to Bin. “It’s him.”

Bin drew back, alarmed, when all the girls surged toward him.

The first girl squinted at Bin, then tapped at her phone. She shoved it under his nose again. “Is this you?”

Bin stared at her phone in disbelief. It was a post on Rocky’s official Instagram account.

_ Thanks to all my Wolf Cubs for being excited about my birthday! I wish I could celebrate with you in person. Thanks to all the lovely staff at the Bubble Bistro for helping my Wolf Cubs celebrate. I’ll be with you in spirit. _

Bin swiped through the pictures carefully. They were a selection of the selcas Minhyuk had taken last night - including two of the selcas with Bin in them.

“That is me,” Bin said slowly.

The girls squealed. 

“Oppa was really here?” the girl with the phone asked. 

“Last night,” Bin said, feeling kind of dazed. Because the cafe had been so busy today he hadn’t checked his phone for any SNS updates. 

There were more squeals.

“What did he order?” the girl demanded.

“Just what you see in the picture - a drink and some almond pastries,” Bin said.

The girl whipped out her wallet. “I’ll have the same.”

Bin nodded. “One iced tea and almond pastry coming right up.”

The girl hollered over her shoulder, and immediately the rest of the girls formed a neat queue. Myungjun hurried over to help take orders, and he called for Manager Nam.

Sua stood off to the side, sipping her drink and observing coolly from behind her sunglasses. 

The chatter in the cafe rose to a din as girls placed their orders, then wandered around taking selcas with the displays just like Minhyuk had.

Manager Nam was wide-eyed as the queue grew and grew all the way out the door and down the sidewalk to the corner. He called Jinwoo, who agreed to come in as soon as possible and help. In order to protect Bin from the hordes of girls who wanted to ask him how he’d met Minhyuk, what he was like, was he nice, did he smell good, Manager Nam took over the cash register and sent Bin to help Myungjun make drinks. When Jinwoo arrived, he took over making drinks for Bin so Bin could go into the back and bake some more pastries.

“How’s it going out there?” Bin asked when Jinwoo ducked into the back to grab some pastries fresh out of the oven.

“It’s insane,” Jinwoo said. “What’s going on?”

“I’m not really sure,” Bin admitted. 

“I guess that whole cup sleeve event thing is really popular.” Jinwoo took a deep breath. “Good luck!” He pasted on a smile and headed back out to serve the customers.

The cafe was a madhouse until about half an hour before closing. When the last excited Rocky fan stepped out the door, Bin and his coworkers slumped against the counter.

“Well,” Manager Nam said, still looking a little dazed. “I suppose I owe Jangmi-ssi and Yoojung-ssi a lot of gratitude for suggesting we host this event.”

Sua breezed through the doors with bags of food in hand from the kimbap restaurant down the street. “You should thank me as well.”

“Food! Thank you, little sister.” Bin roused himself to help her carry the bags over to a side table, which the others immediately scrambled to sit at. Jinwoo fetched drinks for everyone. Myungjun pulled up a chair for Sua.

Bin barely managed to stifle an exhausted groan when the bells over the door jingled, but it was just Sanha, windblown and cheeks flushed.

“Is it true? Did Rocky really come here? I saw it on SNS. He hung out with Bin-hyung?”

“Since the pictures are on Rocky’s official SNS, I’m guessing it’s real,” Sua said. She pointed at Bin with her chopsticks. “If it had been on oppa’s SNS I’d assume it was photoshop.”

Bin flicked a straw wrapper at her. “I’m a fan, but I’m not that crazy.”

_ “Sasaeng,” _ Sua whispered loudly, waggling her eyebrows.

Jinwoo said, “I thought I heard people saying that Rocky had come to the cafe, but that didn’t sound real.”

Myungjun showed Jinwoo his phone - and slid closer to him, the sly fox. “See? This is definitely our cafe. And look, there’s Bin and his stupid puppy-dog smile.”

“Yah!” Bin protested. “My smile isn’t stupid. And puppy dogs are cute, right, Jinwoo-hyung?”

“Some of the customers wanted pictures with Bin,” Sua said.

Sanha pulled up a chair to sit with them. Jinwoo offered him a roll of kimbap and a pair of chopsticks. “This is so cool. A celebrity came to our cafe!”

“Did he really talk to you that much?” Manager Nam asked. “What was he like?”

“He was very nice,” Bin said. “He took time to look at the displays. He seems to really appreciate his fans’ support.”

“When did he even come in?” Myungjun asked. “We would have noticed if he came in today.”

“He was the last customer of the night last night,” Bin said.

_ “Daebak.” _ Sanha poked at his phone some more. “That’s so cool. What was he  _ like, _ hyung?” He peered at Bin earnestly.

“Like I said, he was nice.” Bin wasn’t about to go into detail, because those precious memories were his.

Manager Nam downed his tea in one go. “Thank you for the delicious food, Miss Moon. Boys, the next few days may be chaotic. I’ll need you on call.”

“Like a hospital emergency room.” Myungjun nodded with mock solemnity and saluted. He was the only one who’d already done his service. “We’ll be here when we can.”

“Of course, don’t skip classes, but please come if you can.” Manager Nam smiled and bowed at them.

Once the meal was finished, Sua departed, dragging Sanha with her, no doubt to tell him spurious lies about Bin. The rest of them helped Manager Nam close the cafe for the night.

At home, Bin lay on his bed and scrolled through the SNS posts that the cafe had been tagged in. Bin’s fellow Wolf Cubs were gushing about how cool it was that Rocky had noticed their efforts to celebrate him and that he’d had a chance to participate. Bin did think it was really cool that Minhyuk had come along to the cafe. Of course, The Bubble Bistro wasn’t the only place holding events for him. Would he make it to more of them, or even all of them? The ones in other countries probably not, but the ones in and around Seoul?

Bin was pleased to see that fans liked the event and the cafe, had praised the drinks and also the pastries, which Bin and Myungjun had worked hard to bake. Bin was also pleased to see that fans were being supportive of Jangmi and Yoojung, tagging them in posts featuring their photography. 

Bin had confessed, during the planning process (but not when Manager Nam was in earshot) that he was a fellow Wolf Cub, and his fandom SNS handle was Wolf Moon (for obvious reasons), and he’d do everything he could to help make the event a success. Jangmi and Yoojung admitted they’d picked the cafe because they’d heard a rumor that Rocky had been there before and liked the drinks there, but they’d been hesitant about working with Manager Nam, a white-haired, bespectacled man who’d trained as a barista in Italy when he was young. Bin had promised to promote the event on his fandom SNS, and so he made a point of tagging Jangmi and Yoojung in replies to posts about the event, thanking fans for participating and supporting their fellow fans as well as Rocky.

Luckily for Bin, Rocky had edited their selca before posting it so Bin’s name tag wasn’t visible, and for all that Sua liked to tease Bin, she hadn’t told the fans at the cafe his information, so on SNS he was being referred to as The Luckiest Barista, which was fine by him.

Jangmi sent him a PM on Twitter.  _ Just so you know, you really are the luckiest barista, and I’m so jealous right now, but also thank you for working hard today. I’ve seen the video clips, and it was crazy. _

Bin wrote back,  _ I feel really lucky, no lies. We couldn’t have had this event without you and Yoojung, though. So thank you. _

He’d looked through Minhyuk’s official post about the event a dozen times. It still didn’t feel real, that he’d spent time with Minhyuk.  _ Minhyuk,  _ who’d helped little Kangwoo be confident about his dancing, not Rocky, who was too sexy for nuns.

Bin saved the two selcas of himself and Minhyuk, feeling only a tiny bit guilty, because he was in the pictures too, and then he heaved himself off the bed to shower and study before he slept.

* * *

The cafe continued to do brisk business in the days following what Myungjun and Jinwoo referred to as The Stampede, but it never got so crazy that anyone actually had to be called in for an extra shift, and Bin was glad, because he needed to pass this next quiz if he wanted to pass his hardest class. 

Of course, Bin had made sure he was on the schedule for both Rocky’s debut celebration and his birthday. Manager Nam expected a surge of business from fans on both those days, so he scheduled the other three boys to be on deck as well. Usually Manager Nam only needed one extra person to stick around and help for the last couple of hours before closing, but because Rocky had come to the cafe right before closing, plenty of fans were lingering right up until close in hopes of glimpsing him again.

The day of Rocky’s debut celebration was also the day of Bin’s big quiz in his abnormal psychology class, so he didn’t have time to do any celebration of his own besides a quick SNS post while he wolfed down a triangle kimbap from the convenience store on the way to campus. He told himself that if he made it through the day, going to the cafe and basking in the presence of other Rocky fans would be his reward.

And what a reward it was, to step into the cafe and breathe in the lovely scent of hot cocoa and fresh pastries, to hear some of Rocky’s songs - actual songs - playing in the background of the happy chatter of the many fans who’d come to celebrate their best boy. Bin hurried to the back to change into his uniform, then went to wash his hands and join the others.

“It’s kind of like an art gallery, isn’t it?” Sanha said. “One where we serve drinks and pastries.”

Bin, tying on his apron, scanned the room and nodded. “It is. Rocky is an artist, so I suppose it makes some sense.”

Myungjun and Jinwoo had teamed up to bake in the back, leaving Sanha and Bin to make drinks. 

Manager Nam was running the cash register, smiling and welcoming customers and offering extra gratitude for fans who’d come out to support Rocky and the cafe’s first fan event. Jangmi and Yoojung were both there in person, rallying fans and leading discussions about Rocky’s general awesomeness.

Occasionally some brave girls asked Bin what it was like, to meet Rocky in person. Bin had gotten used to strangers approaching him over the past few days, so he smiled and kept it brief: Rocky was very nice; Rocky really appreciated what the fans had done for him.

Everything was going swimmingly, fans chatting happily and studying the displays, other customers occasionally interested as well. Usually Bin didn’t like it if the cafe was this noisy because that could make it hard to study, but the atmosphere was warm and happy. He’d felt a similar buzz of shared energy when he’d gone to fan events in the past, and he was really enjoying it.

So he was surprised when the noise level dropped suddenly.

He was with Sanha at the espresso machine, and he twisted around to look.

Two nuns were marching through the cafe, eyes forward, though one of them glanced to the side and caught a glimpse of a picture of Rocky in the middle of a provocative body-roll, and she crossed herself.

Manager Nam said, “Good afternoon, sisters. What would you like to try today?”

“Is this really happening?” Sanha asked.

One of the nuns cleared her throat. “Two green teas, please. And a hot cocoa and a pastry, for the boy.”

The boy?

Kangwoo was standing with them. Bin hadn’t recognized him at first, because he was wearing a black cap that covered his face. In fact, he was also wearing a black tank top and black skinny jeans and a pair of black sneakers, just like in that little dance cover video Bin had watched the day he met Kangwoo - and Minhyuk.

Kangwoo said, “I’m a huge fan of Rocky-hyung.”

Some of the girls nearby cooed.

Manager Nam handled payment while Bin heated water for the teas and milk for the hot cocoa. Jinwoo arrived with a tray of fresh pastries, and Bin grabbed one and plated it up before the rest went into the display case.

Kangwoo leaned up on his toes. “Ahjusshi,” he said to Manager Nam, “I have a request.” He held out a battered old MP3 player. “Can you play this song for me?”

Manager Nam blinked. “Oh, well, the youngsters are in charge of the music. Sanha-ya?”

“I’ve got this,” Bin said. He nodded at Sanha to finish the drinks, then headed over to the counter. He smiled at Kangwoo. “Remember me?”

Kangwoo nodded. “Hyungnim. Can you help me?” He held out the MP3 player.

“Is it that song you’ve been learning the dance to?”

Kangwoo nodded again. “I’ve been practicing really hard, just like that other hyungnim said I should.”

“I’ll use my phone to play the song,” Bin said. “Will that work? Just tell me when.”

Kangwoo grinned and flashed him a thumbs up. “Thanks, hyungnim.”

Kangwoo turned to the two nuns, who shooed some people back to clear a little space for him. Bin found the song on his phone, connected his phone to the cafe’s sound system, and signaled Kangwoo.

Kangwoo flashed him another thumbs up, and Bin hit play.

The Kangwoo who’d shuffled awkwardly on the sidewalk all those months ago was long gone. The Kangwoo dancing in the cafe moved crisp and sharp, smooth and elegant, just like in the video, full of confidence and swag.

The two nuns looked dubious and longsuffering during his performance, but they both looked startled and pleased when all the fans in the cafe burst into applause after Kangwoo struck his final pose.

“Wow,” Sanha said. “I kind of wish I’d filmed that.”

Kangwoo offered several sweeping bows, breathing hard and beaming, and then he ambled over to the counter. 

“Thanks, Hyungnim,” he said to Bin.

Bin grinned at him. “You did great. Here, have some drinks and a pastry.”

Kangwoo accepted the tray, and then he went to join the two nuns, who were sitting stiffly at one of the tables and doing their very best not to look at any of the pictures of Rocky.

Bin murmured to himself, “I hope someone got a picture of them. Now he’ll always have to imagine nuns watching his music videos.”

“What was that?” Sanha asked.

Bin shook his head. “Nothing. Kid was a pretty good dancer, wasn’t he?”

Sanha nodded. “Yeah. That was really cool.”

Bin watched Kangwoo as he happily gobbled down his pastry and wondered if he’d figure out that the person who’d helped him that day in front of the cafe was Rocky himself. 

“Sister, can I look at some of the pictures before we go?” Kangwoo asked. 

The elder of the two nuns shook her head firmly. “We did what we came to do. We’d better get back to the orphanage now.”

The younger nun said, “You can keep the picture that came on your cup, though.”

Kangwoo patted the cup sleeve happily. “Okay. Thank you!” He hopped up to return the tray with the plate on it.

“Happy dancing,” Bin said. 

Kangwoo waved at him. “Thanks, hyungnim.”

Bin waved back and watched him go. Today was definitely a good day. 

* * *

Bin had the next day off, which was good, because it meant he could study - and also catch up on all of the SNS posts he’d missed about celebrating Rocky’s debut. He was pleased to see plenty of pictures from The Bubble Bistro, and even a video of Kangwoo dancing, which was rapidly gaining momentum. One person had, in fact, sneaked a picture of the nuns.

Because Bin was feeling saucy, he retweeted the picture and tagged Rocky’s official account and added,  _ Now Rocky will always have to imagine nuns watching his music videos. _

Of course, he was careful to do so using his fan account, and chances of Minhyuk actually seeing the post and remembering their conversation from so many months ago were low, but it was the thought that counted.

As much fun as Bin was having with the cup sleeve event at the cafe, he and the others were being run ragged, and a day to sprawl on the couch and listen to music - and also study for hours - would do him good. He forced himself to get up and go for a walk after a couple of hours. He went down to the convenience store on the corner to get a snack, then retreated to the warmth of his apartment and the nest of blankets he’d made on the couch.

He wondered what it would be like, cuddling up with Minhyuk on the couch. He was all muscle, so he probably got cold easily. But then he probably also had a high metabolism because he was a dancer and a martial artist and an athlete, so he was probably very warm to cuddle with. Bin knew he was warm. After all, his sister had claimed him as her human furnace when they were kids.

Bin lived in the real world, though. In the real world he was a college student trying to make ends meet, and Minhyuk was a celebrity whose life was under a microscope. Every time he stepped out of his apartment, he was dissected and judged, from what he was wearing to what he was carrying to where he was going to what he ate and who he was with and what he did.

Even though Bin wasn’t at the cafe, Jinwoo and Sanha kept him and Myungjun updated on the action with sporadic messages in their work group chat, which was ostensibly for coordinating shift coverage with each other in case of emergencies but was really for gossip most days. So far business was steady but not as crazy as The Stampede or yesterday. There were still plenty of participants in the cup sleeve event, including non-fans who were interested in the drink and pastry specials.

Bin was pleased the event was still doing well. Tomorrow, he was pretty sure, was going to be an even crazier day.

_ By the way,  _ Jinwoo sent,  _ a couple of reporters have come in asking to speak to The Luckiest Barista. _

_ Don’t worry, we didn’t tell them anything about you,  _ Sanha added. 

Bin typed back,  _ I’ve told people a million times, Rocky was really nice when he came in. _

Myungjun chimed in.  _ Then what could they possibly want? _

Wasn’t he supposed to be in class right now?

_ They want to know if you and Rocky are friends, _ Jinwoo replied.

_ He came into the cafe for half an hour one night. That’s not a friendship,  _ Myungjun pointed out. 

_ Maybe you should check SNS.  _ Jinwoo included a link to Rocky’s official twitter account. 

Bin clicked on it. And stared. It was a reply to his earlier tweet about the nuns. 

_ @WolfMoon, now every time I make a music video I will consider whether it will scandalize nuns. I’m glad to see our little dancer friend has improved so much. We’ll talk more when I come by for another iced tea. You’ll be my barista again, right? _

Sanha weighed in.  _ Daebak, he knows your fanboy SNS handle. _

Bin really hadn’t ever intended to tell anyone about that first embarrassing encounter with Minhyuk.  _ There’s a good explanation for that comment. _

_ Ooh, tea! Spill! _ Myungjun said.

_ I’d better get back to studying. _ Bin set his phone aside and opened his textbook once more.

He heard his phone buzz multiple times after that, but he kept on studying. His memories of Minhyuk were his, and he wasn’t sharing them with anyone.

When he was finally finished with all his chapter outlines a few hours later, he checked his phone. Mostly it was Sanha and Myungjun who’d spammed him with increasingly wild speculations, everything from Bin being Rocky’s secret half-brother to the two of them being secretly married, interspersed with begging and pleading and bribing and mock-threats about what would happen if he didn’t spill the tea.

Bin considered making some kind of neutral, uninformative response, if only to spare Jinwoo the chatter, but then his phone buzzed with an alert.

Rocky was about to start a Vlive stream.

Bin immediately opened the site on his laptop and hooked his laptop up to his TV, and he settled in to watch, heart beating rapidly. 

There was an awkward up-close shot of Rocky’s face - Bin always thought of him as  _ Rocky _ while he was doing celebrity things, maybe because when they’d first met they were just a pair of college students - but then Rocky got the camera adjusted how he liked, and he sat back, waved at the camera.

“Hello, Wolf Cubs! It’s so good to see you all again! Thank you for being so kind about celebrating my debut anniversary yesterday! Tomorrow is my birthday, and I’ll be doing my best to celebrate with friends and family, but I figure today is a special day just for me and my Wolf Cubs. You’re celebrating me, but I want to celebrate you and thank you all for your love and support over these four years.”

He was sitting on the floor of what looked like his usual dance practice studio at his company, wearing dark jeans and a dark blue hoodie.

Bin watched the hearts tick up and the comments flood in. Someone pointed out that Rocky was wearing a hoodie she’d bought for him last year. Most of the comments were along the lines of  _ hello! _ And  _ you look so beautiful! _ And  _ we love you! _ And  _ thank you for loving us! _

Because Bin was feeling saucy, he reached out and typed,  _ Be careful, nuns may be watching. _

Rocky responded to some of the comments,  _ Hello! _ And  _ No, my Wolf Cubs are far more beautiful _ and  _ I love you more _ and  _ thank you for always loving me and supporting me. _

He was grinning, but then he paused, eyes wide and startled, and he looked adorable before he burst out laughing. “Is it true? Are nuns really watching me right now?” He waved at the camera. “Kangwoo, if you’re watching this, I hope you keep on dancing, and I promise to behave if the nuns are with you.”

Bin couldn’t help it. He giggled excitedly. Not only had Rocky noticed his comment, but it had made him laugh. 

More comments flooded the chat, about how it was so sweet that Rocky was encouraging his younger fan.

“To show you how much I appreciate you, I prepared something special just for you,” Rocky said. “With a little help from a friend, I’m going to sing you a song I wrote about how much you mean to me.” He beckoned. “Ready, hyung?”

_ Hyung _ could have been any number of people Rocky was close with, from other idols to some of his backup dancers to -

Chaos exploded in the comment section when Cha Eunwoo, hauling an electric keyboard, entered the frame.

Eunwoo was Rocky’s sunbae at the company, a talented actor and solo artist in his own right. He and Rocky had been trainees together.

Rocky helped Eunwoo set up the keyboard, and then Eunwoo sat in front of it, turned it on. He leaned in and beamed at the camera, waving.

“Hello, Wolf Cubs! Thank you for letting me visit today, and thank you for always being supportive of my dear friend.”

The number of viewers exploded, no doubt as Eunwoo’s fans started streaming the video as well.

Rocky grabbed a microphone and a stool to sit beside Eunwoo, and Eunwoo played the opening chords of the song.

“Are you ready?” Rocky asked, and Bin couldn’t help but shout, “Yes!”

“Here goes,” Rocky said, and began to sing.

Bin grabbed his light stick and turned it on, swayed along and waved it back and forth, his heart pounding. The song was light and sweet, about walking a difficult road but bearing the burden well with a loved one by your side, about shared smiles and happy memories and weathering the storms of life. Eunwoo sang harmonies on the chorus, and at the end, he applauded and cheered for Rocky.

While Rocky thanked his fans some more, responded to some more comments - the song would be released tomorrow as a special single - Eunwoo handled the keyboard, microphone, and chairs. And then he came back with a cake, which was decorated with little fondant wolf cubs and candles.

“Are you ready, Wolf Cubs?” Eunwoo asked. He started to sing the birthday song.

Bin joined in, and he knew thousands of fans all over the country and the world were also joining in.

Rocky clapped, delighted, and then blew out the candles.

“What did you wish for?” Eunwoo asked, cutting a slice of the cake.

Rocky said, “I wished for my Wolf Cubs to be happy and for us to be together for a long time.”

Bin wasn’t an idiot. He knew idols and artists said things to please their fans, and even if what they said was sincere, he shouldn’t read too much into it. But his heart fluttered anyway.

While Rocky and Eunwoo shared the cake, they responded to fan comments and reminisced about their time as trainees, how they supported each other during their respective debuts, and how much they regretted not being able to see each other often due to their busy schedules.

Bin kind of wished he had some cake to eat along with them, but Jangmi and Yoojung had plans to bring a cake to the cafe tomorrow to make a video for Rocky of fans lighting candles for him and singing to him, so he figured he could wait.

When the video ended, Bin shut down his laptop and looked at his watch. It was far past dinner time. He should go out and get something to eat, since he felt too lazy to cook. He toed on his shoes, pulled on a jacket, and headed down the stairs, hands jammed into his pockets against the cold. He probably looked a bit disreputable with his hood pulled up like that, but the sun had long set, and he hated it when his ears got cold.

He was halfway to the convenience store when his phone buzzed in his pocket.

He’d received a DM from someone on Instagram whose username he didn’t recognize,  _ PMiNyeoKi. _

Bin unlocked his phone to check the message, curious. It was rare for him to get messages from strangers on his personal account, because he didn’t tag anyone in his pictures and preferred it if people didn’t tag him, which his friends and family respected. Getting messages to his fan account - from fellow fans - was common enough, and they were usually friendly chats and discussions, so he didn’t mind those.

_ It took me forever to find you because your username was an English pun. It occurred to me that if you wanted to give me your number, you needed a way to contact me. Here I am. _

There was no signature, just a selca from the user account.

Bin stopped in the middle of the sidewalk.

No way.

Park Minhyuk.

Bin tapped on the account to check it further, but of course it was set to private.

Was it really him? Or was it a sneaky reporter trying to dig up a story where there was none? Only how would a reporter know that Minhyuk had asked for his number?

Someone jostled Bin’s shoulder, and they both apologized to each other reflexively.

Bin forced himself to start moving again. No way. Minhyuk was serious about wanting his number.

Food. Bin needed food to think.

What should he do? Minhyuk was the first boy to ever ask for his number. Bin always turned girls down. In high school he’d used the excuse that he needed to focus on his studies so he could get into college. In college he told girls the truth, that he was gay. Should Bin call Sua and ask for advice? She had boys asking for her number all the time.

No. She’d just make fun of him.

Should he call Sanha?

No, Sanha was still in high school. He didn’t know anything about dating.

What about Jinwoo or Myungjun?

Myungjun probably wouldn’t take him seriously about someone asking for his number.

That left only one option.

“Why are you here on your day off?” Jinwoo asked when Bin stepped into the cafe.

“Also you look like a wreck,” Myungjun said. 

“I wasn’t planning on going out, so I didn’t get changed,” Bin admitted. Then he looked at Myungjun, who was leaning on the counter and sipping an iced Americano. “What are  _ you _ doing here?”

“They’re being gross,” Sanha said sourly. But he handed Myungjun a plate with a pastry on it and smiled a big fake smile and said, “Enjoy your snack, customer-nim.”

Bin came up short. “You two are dating? Since when?”

“Since high school,” Myungjun said, and smiled at Jinwoo, who smiled back sweetly.

_ “What?” _

“We’re used to keeping it quiet, because, you know, high school.” Jinwoo shrugged. “But then you mentioned you were a Rocky fan, so we figured you’d understand.”

“Why are you here again?” Sanha asked.

Bin said, “A hot guy asked for my number and I don’t know what to do.”

“If you like him, say yes,” Myungjun said. “Although how hot is  _ hot? _ Because looking like you do now -”

“But he’s really - popular on campus,” Bin said. “We met, uh, at a charity thing a few months back and chatted a bit, and I bought him a drink. I didn’t realize how popular he was then, but it turns out he’s really popular.”

“I know all the popular gay boys on campus,” Jinwoo said, which made Myungjun scowl for a moment.

Bin swallowed hard. “He’s not out on campus is the thing.”

“Oh.” Myungjun’s expression softened.

Jinwoo was quiet while he wiped the counter around the espresso machine. Finally he said, “Talk to him. Find out what he wants, and think about whether you can handle keeping your relationship a secret.”

“You must be pretty rattled by this, if you came all the way here,” Myungjun said.

“I’ve never dated before,” Bin admitted.

“I know plenty of popular people too,” Myungjun said. He fished his phone out of his pocket. “What’s his name?”

Bin bit his lip. “Well - his name doesn’t matter. I mean, I can give him my number, but it doesn’t mean we’re dating, right? We can just - talk.”

Jinwoo nodded.

Myungjun patted Bin’s shoulder. “If you want to talk, we’re here.”

“Thanks.” Bin sighed. Then his stomach rumbled. “Um. Can I get a drink? And some day-old pastries.” Those were always half-price.

“There are no day-old pastries,” Sanha said, “but you can use your employee discount. Have you had dinner yet?”

“I was on my way to buy some dinner and I got a DM from him on Instagram and somehow I ended up here,” Bin admitted.

Sanha’s eyes went wide. “Wow. This guy distracted you from food. He must really be something.”

“He really is,” Bin said. He sank down at the nearest table and unlocked his phone, stared at the message from Minhyuk.

Finally he messaged back,  _ Are you sure you want my number? I could be some really crazy fan. _

He nearly dropped his phone when he saw the three dots that meant Minhyuk was typing a response.

_ When we first met, we were just a couple of college students. And you don’t seem too crazy to me.  _

Bin’s heart was pounding in his ears. He tapped out a reply.  _ I don’t want you to get in trouble because of me. _ He thought of little Kangwoo and the two awkward nuns. He thought of Jangmi and Yoojung and all of Rocky’s loyal fans, most of whom were girls and dreamed of dating him. Even if he and Minhyuk didn’t work out, didn’t become anything serious, if anyone found out about them, things would end badly for Minhyuk, much worse than they would for Bin.

The response was rapid.  _ I can take care of myself. And you, too. _

Bin’s heart thumped some more. Then he typed back his phone number and hit  _ send _ before he could chicken out, and he shoved his phone into his pocket. 

Jinwoo brought him a tray with his drink and a couple of almond pastries. “You all right?”

“I sent him my number,” Bin said. “Whatever happens, happens, I guess.”

“We are here for you,” Jinwoo said.

Bin smiled up at him. “Thanks.”

“Now eat up and get home, because you really do look like a wreck, and you’re totally killing the fashionable vibe we have going on here,” Myungjun said.

Jinwoo swatted at him affectionately, and Myungjun beamed at him.

Sanha made a face.

Bin thought,  _ I hope I can be like that someday, with someone I love. _

His phone buzzed. He checked it immediately.

Incoming text message from an unfamiliar number.

Bin unlocked his phone with shaking hands, his heart roaring in his ears, and read the message.

_ Good evening, Moon Bin-ssi. Thanks for taking a chance with me. _

Bin typed back,  _ The one taking a chance is you. _

_ I know you’re worth the risk. _

Bin didn’t know what to say to that. Was he? He was just an ordinary college student. Finally he typed back, _ Thank you. _

_ I’m sorry I can’t talk much tonight. I promise I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Sleep well, Moon Bin-ssi. _

_ Sleep well, Park Minhyuk-ssi. _

Bin went to save the number, then paused. He couldn’t just save it under Minhyuk’s real name. Or his stage name. Or even  _ boyfriend _ or something cute.

Finally he settled on  _ Wolf Boy, _ and then he put his phone back in his pocket. He took his time with his drink and pastries before he bade the others farewell and headed for home.

That night, he lay in bed and looked at his and Minhyuk’s text message conversation over and over again till he fell asleep.

Today must have been a dream.

* * *

But the next morning, the text messages were still there.

Bin sent a  _ Happy Birthday! _ accompanied by a bunch of celebratory emojis and a cute gif to Minhyuk, because he could. 

While he was washing and dressing for the morning, he logged into his fandom SNS account and sent Rocky a happy birthday tweet, as well as reposting a bunch of other fans’ celebratory posts, plus Jangmi and Yoojung’s reminders about the birthday event at the cafe that day.

Even though it was Rocky’s birthday, Bin felt like he was floating on air. He’d passed his quiz in abnormal psych, he was well on track to passing that class, and he’d gotten a good grade on his paper in his advanced sociology class.

By the time he made it to the cafe for his extended shift, he was convinced that today was going to be the best day ever.

“Why are you so happy?” Sanha asked when Bin went into the back room to change into his uniform.

“Did you give that popular guy your number?” Myungjun asked.

Bin nodded.

“And?”

“And we’re talking,” Bin said.

“You should at least show us a picture of him,” Myungjun said. “We’d never tell. You know we’re good at keeping secrets.”

Given how long he and Jinwoo had hid their relationship, they definitely were.

“Not till I know if things are serious or not,” Bin said.

Myungjun pouted for a moment, then relented.

“Thank goodness you’re here,” Manager Nam said. He shoved Bin toward the espresso machine with a stack of drink orders. “It’s crazy.”

Bin glanced at his watch. “It’s about to get crazier in about an hour.”

“What’s happening in an hour?” Manager Nam asked, looking frazzled. 

Jinwoo was artfully balancing a tray laden with a dozen drinks. He stepped out from behind the counter and wove through the tables to where a bunch of girls wearing Rocky’s official fandom colors were talking and laughing.

“In an hour Jangmi-ssi and Yoojung-ssi will be coming with a cake,” Bin said. He checked the first order and set some espresso going.

“A cake?” Manager Nam asked.

“A birthday cake,” Bin said.

“Of course,” Manager Nam said faintly. “You know, I’m pretty sure back in the Joseon era people didn’t even celebrate the king’s birthday like this.”

“Well, did any of the kings look like Rocky or dance and sing like him?” Bin asked.

Manager Nam was shocked.

Sanha laughed.

Bin finished two drinks, put them on a tray, put the tray beneath the pickup sign on the counter. He checked the name on the receipt, called it out, and then set to making the next drink order. Myungjun added several pastries to the order, called out the name and number one more time, and dodged around Bin and Sanha.

It really was chaos, but Bin loved it.

That didn’t stop him from checking his phone every chance he had, to see if Minhyuk had texted him. 

Apart from the one reply early that morning, a  _ Thank you! It’s been very happy so far! _ there was nothing.

Bin knew from checking the fan cafe that Minhyuk had a busy day scheduled, was appearing on a live music show and also doing pre-recording for a variety show. Chances were he was away from his phone for long stretches during recording. And it wasn’t like he and Bin were dating anyway. They were just...talking.

Even though Bin was in the back baking with Jinwoo, he knew the moment Jangmi and Yoojung arrived with the cake, because cheers rose up out front.

Then the noise settled, and Jangmi cleared her throat.

“All right, everyone, gather around. We’re going to light the candles and sing to Rocky-oppa, and then we can blow the candles out and cut the cake. Let me get the camera set up first, though, so we can record it and send it to him.”

There were more cheers.

Bin craned his neck to peer into the front.

“Go,” Jinwoo said.

“What? But -”

“It’ll take maybe ten minutes. Go and have fun.” Jinwoo lifted his chin in the direction of the doorway.

“Thanks,” Bin said, and headed out to the front.

“While our beloved Howl Queen sets up the camera,” Yoojung said, referring to Jangmi by her SNS handle, “I’d like to thank everyone who’s come out to support Rocky during this event, and I’d especially like to thank Manager Nam and the staff here at the Bubble Bistro.”

There were cheers and applause.

Myungjun executed a deep theatrical bow. Sanha beamed and framed his face with his hands, since he was totally shameless about aegyo. Bin just bowed politely as he edged around the counter to stand on the fringes of the crowd gathered around the cake.

Jangmi finished setting up the camera and lit the candles.

Some girls held up fan banners to hide their faces, but others grinned and waved at the camera.

“Oppa,” Jangmi said, “we wish you the very happiest birthday and hope your day is special. We love you!”

Yoojung counted them in, and Bin sang along with the crowd, and then as one they took deep breaths to help blow out the candles. Yoojung and Jangmi actually used a fan to extinguish the candles so no one spat on the cake, and there was more cheering and applause, and then it was time to cut the cake. 

Bin helped distribute paper plates and napkins while the cake was being cut. 

Jangmi shut off the camera, then fired up her laptop so she could do a quick edit and post the video for other fans - and Rocky - to see. Once all the other fans had slices of cake, Bin secured one for himself. Just like plenty of other fans, he took a little selca with the cake, but instead of posting it to his fan SNS, he sent a text message to Minhyuk.

_ I know I’ve already said this, but happy birthday! Too bad we can’t eat this tasty cake together. _

He added the picture after subjecting it to a subtle filter, then tucked his phone away and promised himself not to check it unless he felt an alert come in.

Even though the cake was the big moment for the cup sleeve event today, business picked up instead of slowing down after that as fans finished with classes and work and school for the day and came to mingle and visit.

Bin and his teammates were nearly run off their feet, and their only saving grace was Sua, who brought them food from one of the restaurants down the street again. She strode across the cafe like a model on a runway, and Bin hugged her before dragging her into the back.

The crew wouldn’t have a chance to sit and have a meal together, but they could take turns. Bin shoved a box of food and a pair of chopsticks at Jinwoo, then headed back out to the front to keep on working.

“That’s my good deed done for the day,” Sua said, following him. “Oppa, buy me a drink.”

As Bin hadn’t had a chance to use his one free drink per shift, he nodded and began fixing her a fancy caramel macchiato.

Cheers rose up from some of the tables crowded with fans.

“What’s going on?” Sua asked. “Besides you living your best sasaeng life while you get paid.”

“I’m working very hard,” Bin said virtuously as he slid the finished drink across the counter.

Sua sipped from it, unimpressed.

“Rocky-oppa saw our video and responded,” Jangmi said breathlessly, waving her phone at Bin.

So he checked his phone, and sure enough Rocky had retweeted the original video and thanked fans for their birthday wishes and said he regretted not being able to share the cake with them, as it looked delicious.

A moment later, Bin received a text message.

From Wolf Boy.

With a selca of Minhyuk, perfectly made up for a variety show appearance, smiling at the camera. 

_ I’d love to share some cake with you. _

Bin’s heart fluttered again.

Sua huffed.  _ “Heol.  _ Look at your face. You’d think you were looking at a message from your boyfriend. You know you’ll never get to date Rocky in real life, right?”

“Right,” Bin said faintly. He pocketed his phone. Then he eyed Sua. “Shouldn’t you be at  _ your _ part time job?”

“Mom says you haven’t posted on your SNS in a while and she wanted me to make sure you weren’t dead.” Sua shrugged and sipped at her drink some more.

“She could have called me. I’ve just been busy with work and school.”

“And with your fantasy boyfriend,” Sua said.

“Whatever,” Bin said. “It’s not like you don’t thirst over Cha Eunwoo every chance you get.”

Sua shrugged. “He’s beautiful and talented.”

“So is Rocky.” Bin smirked at her and pocketed his phone.

Sua lingered around for the rest of the shift, smiling and chatting with Jangmi and Yoojung, and occasionally helping serve drinks while the rest of the crew took turns eating the food she’d brought. Bin gave her a couple of free pastries in gratitude.

The party for Rocky lasted right up until closing. Bin got roped into a group picture with Jangmi, Yoojung, and a couple of other fans before they departed.

Manager Nam heaved a sigh of relief as he flipped the sign on the door from open to closed.

“Ladies,” he said to Yoojung and Jangmi and Sua, “and gentlemen,” he said to Bin and his teammates, “thank you for a successful business day and for a successful fan event. You have all worked hard. Now, let’s get this place back to normal.”

Bin said, “I’ll help Yoojung-ssi and Jangmi-ssi pack up their things and get the regular decorations back into place.”

Manager Nam nodded. Myungjun set to cleaning the espresso machine, because he was best able to get into its nooks and crannies with his delicate little hands. Jinwoo handled washing dishes in the back, so Sanha set to cleaning the tables and chairs and counters and sweeping the floor. Manager Nam started counting the till for the day.

Sua sighed, then rolled up her sleeves and moved to help Jangmi. She and Yoojung had brought boxes so they could pack up their pictures and other paraphernalia for safe transport home, which was wise of them. While they packed, Bin started dragging the regular decorations out of the store room in the back.

“He doesn’t look it, but oppa is very strong,” Sua said. “Once the boxes are loaded he can help you carry them out to your car.”

“What do you mean, I don’t look it?” Bin hauled a low bookcase into the middle of the cafe and set it down. “I go to the gym and work very hard, thank you.” He posed and flexed his biceps for good measure.

Sua rolled her eyes, but Jangmi and Yoojung applauded.

“Thank you for appreciating me.” Bin bowed.

Sua said, “You’d like it better if Rocky appreciated you, though.”

Bin couldn’t resist saying, “I bet he would.” He headed back into the store room.

His phone buzzed in his pocket with an incoming call, so he fished it out and after a quick glance to ascertain it wasn’t a spam call, answered it. “Hello?”

“Where are you right now?”

Bin stopped short. It was Minhyuk. “I’m still at the cafe.”

“Can I come see you?”

“We’re already closed for the night, and we’re cleaning up,” Bin said. “Also some fans are still here, the ones who organized the event, so -”

“I could help you clean up,” Minhyuk said. “Your sister’s helping you, right? I recognize her from the pictures of the two of you on Instagram.”

Bin immediately poked his head out of the storage room. “You can see my sister?”

And then he spotted the figure in the grey hoodie, lingering by the front door.

Bin crossed the cafe and pulled the door open - it hadn’t been locked yet - and stepped outside. He pocketed his phone. Minhyuk drew his hood back and smiled.

“Hey there, Moon Bin. Happy birthday to me.”

“Happy birthday,” Bin echoed faintly, his heart racing.

“I really wanted to see you all day. We just got done shooting and I couldn’t wait any longer.” Minhyuk reached up, put his hands on Bin’s shoulders, and gazed into his eyes. “You don’t post enough pictures of yourself on SNS. It’s not fair. I post lots of selcas.”

“More people want to see your face than mine,” Bin said.

“But I matter more to you, right?” Minhyuk’s smile was bright and sweet.

Bin nodded helplessly, because it was true.

Minhyuk craned his neck to peer past Bin. “Want me to help you clean up? That way you can be done faster. I want to go on a date. It’ll be my best present. We didn’t even get to go out on our day one.”

“Wait, we’re dating?”

Minhyuk raised his eyebrows. “You don’t want to date me?”

“I do, but I’m me and you’re you.” Bin swallowed hard.

“Like I said, I can take care of myself. And you too, if you need it,” Minhyuk said.

“I’m older than you,” Bin said. “I can also take care of myself.”

“Then what’s stopping us from dating?”

Bin thought about it, thought about it for as long as Jinwoo would have. “Nothing. Come on. Help me clean up, and then - yes. We can go on a date. Where should we go?” He pulled open the cafe door.

Minhyuk trotted up the steps and into the cafe. “How about dinner and a movie? I’ll cook. We can stay at my place.”

Bin, who went to follow, stumbled.

Minhyuk spun and caught him in a startling display of reflexes. “You all right?”

“Ah - your place?”

“I could cook at yours, too, if you’d feel better about that. We could go shopping together,” Minhyuk said.

Bin thought of his tiny rooftop apartment with the lighting that constantly flickered like the place was haunted. “No, your place is fine. Just fine.”

“Don’t worry,” Minhyuk said. “It’s not like we’ll be making ramyeun.”

Bin couldn’t help but be flustered. He’d never thought Minhyuk could be such a flirt. Well, Bin could give as good as he got. “Be careful talking about ramyeun. What if some nuns hear you?”

Minhyuk looked startled, and then he laughed. “You are the  _ worst. _ I really will imagine nuns reacting to my music videos every time I make one.”

Bin said, “But you like me anyway.”

“I do.”

“Oppa, you’re supposed to be helping! You work here, not us,” Sua hollered.

“I’m coming,” Bin said. “I brought more help, so we can all get out of here faster.”

Jangmi handed him a box. “My car is parked out back.”

Yoojung went to hand Minhyuk another box and screamed.

Minhyuk scrambled to catch the box before it fell, and Jangmi screamed.

Jinwoo and Manager Nam came bursting out of the back, Jinwoo wielding a mop, Manager Nam brandishing his giant calculator.

“What’s going on?” Manager Nam asked.

“Are you all right?” Jinwoo asked.

Sanha and Myungjun arrived a moment later, Sanha armed with his broom, Myungjun with his tiny fists raised like a boxer.

Manager Nam stared at Minhyuk. “Who are you?”

Minhyuk straightened up and bowed awkwardly with the heavy box in his hands. “Hello, I’m Park Minhyuk. I came by to help Bin clean up so we can hang out. It’s my birthday today, and I wanted to celebrate together.”

Manager Nam squinted at Minhyuk over the top of his glasses. “Oh, you’re one of Bin-ah’s friends? You do look very familiar.”

Jinwoo’s mouth fell open.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle anyone,” Minhyuk said, all sincerity.

Jangmi and Yoojung were clinging to each other and staring at Minhyuk, wide-eyed.

Sanha’s eyes went wide.  _ “Daebak,  _ you’re -”

Myungjun elbowed him sharply. “Binnie’s friend, of course. Thank you for helping us. We’ve received lots of extra help from Binnie’s friends and family during this event.”

Sua looked back and forth between Bin and Minhyuk, expression calculating. Then she smiled sweetly. “Oh, you’re one of oppa’s friends? And it’s your birthday? We should all help you celebrate.” She clapped her hands. “Back to work! The faster we get out of here, the faster we can help Bin-oppa and his friend celebrate his birthday.”

Jangmi finally managed to detach herself from Yoojung and approach Minhyuk. “Oppa, it’s such an honor.”

Minhyuk bowed. “Thank you.”

“An honor?” Manager Nam echoed.

Bin said, “Which way is your car? These boxes are kind of heavy.”

Yoojung surged into action. “Of course. This way. We parked out back.”

“Sua, get the door for us?” Bin asked.

She nodded and went ahead of them, holding open the door from the back of the kitchen to the alley where employees of the businesses on that block could park their cars and accept deliveries.

Jangmi and Yoojung were still wide-eyed and a bit wobbly on their feet.

“I’m sorry my car is such a mess,” Jangmi said.

“At least you have a car,” Minhyuk said. He slid the box of framed pictures into the back seat, then helped Bin with his box.

“You don’t have a car?” Yoojung asked.

“Ah, no. When I’m working the company has a car for me, but I often take public transport, like anyone else. When I go home to visit my parents, the long bus ride gives me time to think.” Minhyuk shrugged. He pushed up the sleeves of his hoodie and dusted off his hands. “What else is there left to move?”

The entire time Minhyuk was helping Bin help Jangmi and Yoojung load things in their car, Sua was following Bin as they made the trip back and forth from the cafe, gaze knowing. Jinwoo, Sanha, and Myungjun were clustered together, talking and whispering. Myungjun was gesticulating wildly, and more than once the other two had to hush him.

Minhyuk obligingly posed for photos with Jangmi and Yoojung before they left, thanking them for all they’d done to help celebrate his birthday, and then he helped Bin restore the cafe’s usual decorations. 

Once the cafe was clean and back to normal, Bin and his teammates changed out of their uniforms. Bin changed as fast as he could, because he knew better than to leave Sua unattended with Minhyuk, and as soon as he was back in his regular clothes he grabbed his bag and headed out to the main dining floor. The others trailed after him, still whispering to each other.

“You know,” Manager Nam said, “after ten crazy days, I think you all deserve a very nice meal - and you too, Sua, since you’ve been such a big help. What do you say? My treat.”

“I’ll pass this time, Manager-nim,” Bin said, “since Minhyuk and I have plans. For his birthday.”

“Of course. Happy Birthday.” Manager Nam smiled and waved at Minhyuk, who bowed and thanked him. “You’ve worked very hard, Bin-ah. See you next shift.”

Bin bade his friends and sister farewell, and he followed Minhyuk out of the cafe.

“Okay, where now?” he asked.

Minhyuk said, “I parked my bike around the corner.”

“Bike?”

“I said I didn’t have a car.” Minhyuk led Bin over to a gleaming black and chrome motorcycle. He opened the seat compartment and got out two helmets, handed one to Bin. “What, did you think I’d make us take public transport all the way back to my place? I’m not that patient. I want to hold your hand and kiss you and tell you how beautiful you are, and taking the bus and train would take an hour -”

Bin pulled on the helmet. “Let’s go.”

Minhyuk laughed and pulled on his own helmet. “Let’s.”

* * *

“So,” Myungjun said, leaning on the counter while Bin made a vanilla latte. “Spill the tea. You’re dating -”

“A guy who’s very popular  _ on campus _ but is still not out,” Jinwoo cut in, casting his boyfriend a pointed look.

“You sneak,” Myungjun said. “I can’t believe you lied to us.”

“I didn’t say he was popular on  _ our _ campus.” Bin finished the drink, put a lid on it, put it on the pickup counter, and called out, “Vanilla latte for Sooyeon!”

“Why are you two even here?” Sanha asked. “You don’t work till tomorrow. I can’t believe Manager Nam scheduled you together. He’s going to catch you making out in the storeroom and have a heart attack and then we’ll all be out of jobs.”

“Bin ignored all our messages in the group chat for  _ two whole days,” _ Myungjun said, “and I want to know how it happened. You have to tell us everything.”

“I didn’t ignore  _ all _ the messages,” Bin said. “Just the two hundred or so that were  _ Binnie Binnie Binnie _ over and over again.”

Jinwoo cast his boyfriend another look.

Myungjun shrugged and sipped his drink, adopting an innocent expression.

“Those were really annoying,” Sanha admitted. But he nudged Bin. “Be straight with us.”

“Bit late for that,” Bin drawled.

“Are you going to be a celebrity boyfriend from now on?” Sanha finished.

“I’m going to finish school and become a social worker,” Bin said primly.

“But also be a celebrity boyfriend?” Myungjun pressed.

Bin said, “Vanilla latte for Sooyeon!”

Sanha handed him another drink.

Bin squinted at the name on the cup sleeve. “Iced tea for Minhyuk!” He did a double take.

Sooyeon was a distracted woman in a business suit who was reading something on her phone as she came to get her drink.

Minhyuk was wearing one of his soft blue sweaters and a black snapback and looked like an ordinary college student. “Hey. How’s your day going?”

“Better,” Bin said, a little breathlessly. “You?”

“Better. See you after work?”

Bin nodded. “Bye.”

Minhyuk winked, raised his drink in salute, and left the cafe.

Bin said, “Yeah. Also a celebrity boyfriend.”

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> So much gratitude to my best girl Brumeier who gave this a beta even though this is nowhere near being one of her fandoms.
> 
> Can you tell I've never been to a cup sleeve event before but really, really wanted to go to one of Rocky's after seeing pictures all over Twitter?


End file.
